Black Unemployment Crisis Affects Children’s Mental Health

As the Black unemployment rate continues to be the highest of any ethnic group, an article on The Grio discusses the ways in which Black children are negatively affected by the financial woes of their parents.

In a study of 7,000 households, data showed that Black middle-class children of single mothers who remained unemployed for an extended period of time developed lower self-esteem and were more likely to drop out of school. Nearly half of all black households are run by single mothers.

“Children are very observant,” says Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. “They are attuned to changes in mood, changes in your tone of voice, whether you look fatigued and your energy level.”